Kel Joins the Circus
by crunchygirl
Summary: Kel doesn't want to become a knight but aims to join the circus and become the great Psuni like the Lioness. AR.
1. Chapter 1

Keladry joins the circus

First fanfic uh hi bet I got lots of details wrong, sorry about that. And players, I'm hazy about that so if I misused the word sorry about that too. But otherwise, you must enjoy!! Or try too and excuse any of my bad grammar :D

DN: Setting and most characters belong to Tamora Pierce. Woop

* * *

**Chapter 1- Resolution**

The circus. A lion's den brimming with ambition, dreams and rivalry. It is a tightrope walk; one slip of the foot will tip the balance between success and failure.

To a spectator, each step is light and casual but to the tightrope walker every one of those small steps towards the other side are laden with the knowledge that a slight tremor could be the beginnings of a monstrous earthquake that would leave her dreams in ruins.

With this in mind, Keladry of Mindelan signed her name in blood, binding herself to The Wandering Player's Circus.

Keladry's fascination with the circus began one fateful day during trip down to Corus with her father when she was a little girl.  
The busy, crowded city was intoxicating with the bright colours of the street stalls and the delicious, wafting odours of homemade goods but the circus was in town that day and that added a whole new level of excitement to Corus.

Keladry was separated from her father amongst the hustle and bustle of the city. As she wandered down the streets in an attempt to find her father, Kel was drawn by an invisible force to the crowd and the loud, lilting music playing from the middle of the square.  
As she squirmed her way into the centre of the crowd, a wondrous sight greeted her.

Coloured pieces of confetti were raining down from the sky, shimmering in the sunlight.  
The circus players were dressed in striking costumes studded with fat, gaudy jewels. Some somersaulted off the strange circus animals draped in royal purple cloth, to meet with the other players and take their opening bow.

Kel was mesmerized as the circus performed their jaw dropping tricks. The gifted and non gifted were equally as great and worked together to create magic acts that left the spectators astounded, mouths open with disbelief.

Then a huge roar came from the crowd as a small woman with flaming red hair and violet eyes appeared, followed by a huge lion whose coat was the same colour as the woman's hair. "Lioness! Lioness! Lioness!" screamed the crowd, as the woman raised her arms high to acknowledge the people.

When the kerfuffle died down, the lioness trained her calm eyes on the lion and began to sway to the hypnotic music of a lone flute. The lion began to move in response and the two engaged in something similar to a dance.

Even at her young age, Kel was able to see that the woman was not the master and the lion not the servant, but their bond was one of equals. They had the familiar air of kindred spirits who understood each other which enabled them to dance in as a single unity in pure harmony.

A gasp came from the circle as the lion unsheathed its gleaming claws. The curious dance intensified as the lion stood up on his hind paws. The Lioness and the lion danced as one, the woman was twirling and twisting, flitting about like a butterfly narrowly avoiding those lethal claws and the stately steps of the lion.

The dance reached its peak as the two lunged in and away from each other; the dance had turned into more of a passionate tango rather than a polite waltz. The lion was slicing and thrusting with his paws, an inch away from the woman's bare flesh.

Silence filled the air as the music came to a halt, the people of Corus watched with morbid anticipation as the woman flung herself through the air at the lion and he bounded towards her in perfect sync, with his claws outstretched. Compared to her tiny figure, the lion was a glorious moving mountain of lean muscle and flaming red hair.

As they came closer and closer together, nearer and nearer to a fatal embrace, the collective tension of the spectators reached a near unbearable point. The tension shattered in the deafening applause that followed the Lady Lioness as she manoeuvred herself through the outstretched forepaws of the lion, a fit as tight as interlaced fingers and emerged over his head unscathed.

Then the mysterious woman disappeared in a flash of blinding, violet light in midair to bring her powerful performance to an end.

"Lioness! Lioness! Lioness!" Shouted the crowd and this time, Keladry joined in.

From then on, Keladry's dream was to join the circus.  
As she grew older she learned the true nature of the trade from the many stories told by word of mouth and from her own eyes.

Hero Psyuni's changed as swiftly as the direction of the month "King" Jonathon was the people's favourite and the next it was her own brother Anders of Mindelan but something would always happen that would make you lose favour with the people.

Anders was given a limp for life that ended his career because he had doubted his familiar for a mere second. The novelty of "The King" wore off when his relationship with the Lioness ended. It wasn't all glory but a cutthroat, fickle profession where only the strongest could survive.

One of the strongest was The Lioness, she had survived the changes of time. Her faith in her familiar-Faithful and ability to impress the crowd every time kept her in good favour. Keladry strove to become as great as her and was willing to overlook the bad of this line of work for the good.

She loved the sheer grace and beauty of the art called Psyunn, she wished to find an animal familiar that would share an inseparable bond with, to possess an almost telepathic connection with the other half of her soul.

She hoped to be able to share this beauty with the rest of the world, to pass on the passion that had been given to her on that day. This drove her to train hard every day. She developed an intense exercise routine specifically designed to increase her stamina, flexibility, strength and reflexes. She needed to reach a level of fitness that would prepare her for the day when the travelling circus would pass through Tortall again and she, Keladry of Mindelan will be ready to finally start living her dreams.

* * *

Please review I would appreciate it very muchly!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! :D

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Keladry gingerly climbed up the rickety, decrepit stairs leading to the deck of _The Wandering Player's Circus. _She was tense with excitement- each step was leading her closer to becoming great like the Lioness.

At the last step, she was suddenly blinded by the glaring sun. As the white, palpitating dots gradually subsided, Kel was able to piece together the scene before her.

Circus members were lounging in various poses of relaxation, no doubt taking full advantage of any opportunities to slack off before they would have to begin the exhausting task of preparing the ship for sail.

The contract had made it clear that navigating, steering and running the ship was everybody's duty. Every circus member was also a crew member. Any person who fails to contribute sufficiently are not only shunned by the other mates but immediately removed from the Circus

Heads turned to stare as Kel stepped onboard. She returned their stares calmly, determined not to get intimidated.

"Keladry of Mindelan?" A voice boomed from above.

Wyldon of Cavall swung down from the rigging with ease. He was the Circus trainer, in charge of everybody and everything. Kel had heard he was strict but produced the best Circus performers. "You are the new girl?"

"I am sir" replied Keladry, her voice soft and clear.

"You have signed the contract so you know the rules. I will remind you once and once only of the three most important rules that you must abide by. If you fail to do this, I will not hesitate to strip you of your status and remove you from the ship." He informed her rigidly.

"Rule one: You must work to your full potential and persevere.

Rule two: Any important information regarding our Circus that could damage reputation or hurt our chances of being successful is confidential and must not be divulged especially to other rival Circus Performers.

And last of all, rule three: A romantic relationship between crew members on board" -Here Lord Wlydon coughed and flushed but continued- "sexual or otherwise is prohibited."

This time it was Keladrys turn to flush pink as the rest of the eavesdropping crew sniggered. "Of course not, sir" she muttered.

"What was that?" he barked.

"No, sir." She repeated louder.

"Good, ahem" he coughed. "Well if you have no questions, I have lots to do." He said as he disappeared, leaving Kel by herself and at a complete lost as to what to do next.

* * *

Keladry was sixteen years old when she heard the Circus was coming back to Tortall.

At sixteen years of age, Kel had trained herself to be skilful at contortion, acrobatics, object manipulation and balancing. These skills were the basic foundations to becoming a Psyuni and to be accepted into the Circus.

Competition for acceptance into the Circus was aggressive. It was widely known that in each city they visited, the Circus only permitted a select few to join.

Kel knew that she would have to wait another decade before she would have another chance to try again.

"I am going to have to perform at my best, this is my sole opportunity" she thought as she gazed out the grimy window of The Dancing Dove Inn.

Keladry had finally arrived in Corus after a week's journey on foot. It had been exhausting and lonely without any companions.

Kel has few friends and what friends she has are living on the Yamani Islands where she had done the majority of her training.

The Yamani were great teachers although at first they mocked the strange, clumsy girl who followed them like a stray puppy.

Young Kel stuck like a bur to her the poised Yamani children until they deemed her worthy to join in with their dangerous games that required dead-on precision and grace that seemed effortless.

She learnt how to toss the Shukusen fans which appeared harmless but were in fact razor-sharp and deadly. The Yamani girls took turns to toss the fan and catch it by its handle, a pretty but lethal dance. Keladry also learnt the art of hand-to-hand fighting of the famous Shang warriors and like all Yamani women, wielding the glaive- a wooden pole with sharp steel tips on the ends- became second nature,

She also learnt the strict etiquette and discipline of the Yamani. She learnt to stay calm, to keep her face still as the quiet lake in order to hide her feelings, a sign of respect.

After living the Yamani way of life for six years, Kel was sad to leave her the people she had grown to love but she was also excited. The memory of the Circus and the Lioness was fresh in her mind.

Keladry came back to Tortall, stronger and more dexterous than most of the gangly, adolescent boys. The boys were afraid of Kel who possessed an unusual calm demeanour that was different from their own loud, raucous ways.

They also found it strange that she didn't show off as they would have if they were as able as her.

Instead Kel worked tirelessly by herself, unused to the unfamiliar ways of the strange people in a now strange land.

"Help! PLEASE! He-" A voice shrieked, jerking Kel out of her reverie.

She jumped down from the window sill and ran out of her downtrodden room into the dimly lit hallway where a dark man was cruelly twisting the thin arm of a brown-haired girl, forcing her down onto her knees.

Without hesitating, Keladry aimed a kick behind the knees of the man, sending him straight down onto the ground. Not missing a beat, she followed through with another kick and grappled with him till his face was an inch away from the dirty floor.

"Apologise to her now" she said quietly.

"Bitc—argh," he spat, and then screamed in pain as she pulled back his little finger.

"Apologise now." She repeated.

"Ok, ok I'm sorry! Just let me go!" he pleaded.

As she loosened her hold on him, the man threw an elbow into Kel's face, throwing her against the wall. She groaned as all the air left her and spots danced in her vision until everything turned black.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**a/n:** Thanks for the reviews. You are a bunch of angels :D. Also sorry about the slow updating- school work. work. life.

Anyway I hope you like :)

* * *

"Lady! Are you all right? Lady, please!"

Kel awoke to find large, concerned, brown eyes staring back at her. "Oh, thank the goddess!" exclaimed the girl "Where is your room? I'll take you to it, lady. Oh, I am so sorry, please forgive me, my lady!"

"It's fine, I'm fine. It's alright, I can go by myself," said Kel as she painstakingly raised herself off the ground.

She gave a small smile of triumph until the crippling pain returned as feeling travelled back down her body. She uttered a small cry before she collapsed back down on to the floor.

Thankfully she remained conscious as the girl rushed to help her up again. "Oh, I'm sorry miss but I really do have to take you to your room... I don't think you'll make it by yourself."

She nearly smiled when she saw the sour look on Kel's face. "It's either that or I will have to go and get help. Then you'll definitely get taken to the healers." She threatened.

Kel grudgingly gave in with a reluctant nod. She hated to seem helpless; it was embarrassing and made her seem incapable.

But she had no choice; she was fighting for consciousness again.

* * *

Kel felt all the remaining energy leave her and she collapsed on the bed when they finally got back to her room.

The girl, whose name she learnt was Lalasa, was slight and it was a huge struggle to get the bigger girl down the stairs, and across the hall.

"Oh miss, I'll have to tend t' your wounds, keep still" Lalasa instructed as she hunted around for medicine.

"It's by the window and thank you for helping me," said Kel gratefully and a little abashedly. "Who was that brute before?" she inquired.

Lalasa stayed silent as she cleaned Keladry wounds efficiently and systematically.

When Lalasa didn't answer, the silence was a comfortable one. Kel decided to wait patiently until Lalasa was ready to speak. It was a long time before Lalasa answered; she decided to trust the strange girl to who had just rescued her.

"He's my master, mi' lady" she said softly.

"His family offer'd me a job as the servant to their only son and heir. I didn't want to take the job, after all my _lord_" she paused here; her voice was filled with a hatred that was startling against her timid countenance.

She continued onwards, "After all _he _was infamous for his tyranny and mistreatment of his servants. But, what could I do? They offer'd me money, food and a place to live.

These were all scarce in my small town and I couldn't bear to impose on my relatives any longer. They had been so kind to me after the death of my parents. My dear uncle and aunt raised and loved me, going well beyond the call of duty," she closed her eyes briefly.

"So I became his maid and it started out all well and good but it gradually worsen'd. For you see, miss, like you, he also wanted to join the Circus.

But he did not and does not possess the patience or the strength of character to become a Psyuni so, each day he grew more and more violent out of frustration.

In spite of this, he obstinately pursued his dream only to reach this inn along with you and the others, mi lady, to be test'd and triall'd for admittance into the circus.

His was not successful to say the least, miss." She grinned sheepishly. "Not only was he unskilled and his movements clumsy but his "magic" tricks failed so miserably that the judges could not help but laugh.

The master was left humiliated and his hopes and dreams were thoroughly destroyed. At first, he blamed himself but his mind became confused and irrational.

He somehow acquired the idea that I had sabotaged his performance as I was his assistant during the trials.

Then he lost all control and became temporary unhing'd." A shadow briefly passed her face as she said this. "Earlier, you saved me from him and I give my most heartfelt thanks."

As Lalasa finished, another silence ensued. Keladry had completely forgotten her pain and Lalasa seemed to have recaptured hers.

"I'm sorry" said Kel.

"Don't be sorry, my lady. It was nobody's fault but mine; after all I di

d choose to work for him." Her gaze was steady as she said this.

"Whoever's fault it was, Lalasa, you still can't go back to him! He won't stop; he will treat you even worse than before." Kel paused. "You said you were his assistant? That means you know about performing and the Circus. Please, will you be my assistant!" Kel asked earnestly.

But Lalasa was already shaking her head to refuse. "I'm grateful but I just can't impose myself on you, milady." She replied.

"You owe me a favour" said Kel "I saved your life. You return that favour by becoming my assistant, please."

"Oh lady by saying that, you are leaving me with no choice. Then I will be your assistant but I will not accept any payments in return. You saving me is enough, miss."

* * *

Keladry stood helplessly aside as the rest of the circus members began getting the boat ready for sail with a familiarity that can only be acquired after years of working alongside each together.

Lalasa had taken her belongings below deck and was with the other assistants who were being lectured on their duties.

Kel felt alone and out of place. She felt as if she had newly arrived at the Yamani Islands all over again.

She sighed with relief when Wyldon waved her over to where he was standing with what looked to Kel like the rest of the new recruits as they had the same overwhelmed look as she probably had on her face as well.

"I will get straight to the point as we don't have time to waste." He told them. "Since you are all new to the Circus, you will need to be mentored and taught the way of things. Therefore, you will each be assigned to an older member who will guide you, this is the way of things" He concluded.

"No questions? Good. Let's begin, Owen of Jesslaw?"

"Yes, sir." replied a brown haired, stocky boy who was even younger than Kel.

Wyldon gave him a firm look, and then said "You are assigned to Joren of Stone Mountain, this is his third year and he is going to begin his training as a Psyuni this year." Curiously, he looked not at Owen but at Joren, a beautiful but rather indifferent boy, when he said "He _will _look after you well."

"Cleon of Kennan?"

A tall, freckled, red headed boy answered this time, "Yessir!"

"You are assigned to Domitian of Masbolle. It seems he has better things to do as he isn't here" Wyldon frowned slightly," He is our involved in a variety of our acts and looks after the 2nd year performers. He will be your mentor."

Wyldon assigned several more mentors to their new trainees until Kel was the only one left.

"I had a trainee assigned to you, but unfortunately she is unable to fulfil her obligation as she was called away last night." He paused. "I spoke with other older circus members but none were willingly to give up their vital training time. So, it that leaves me. _I _will- "

"I'm afraid I will have to intervene" a voice drawled. "Wyldon, you even have to admit that you're most unsuitable to be mentor to a perfectly nice girl such as her. She needs to be guided by someone closer to her age. If you be her mentor, she will surely quit before the end of the month as her life will be so tediously fixed and unchanging that she shan't be able to stand it no longer." A boy said flippantly as he brushed his dark, brown hair out of his eyes.

"I will not let her be victim to your rigid nature." His green eyes sparkled as he paused for dramatic effect. "I will be her mentor."

As he said this, Kel wanted to sink into the ground. The boy had singlehandedly drawn the attention of everybody onboard and fixed it on her. Attention was the last thing she wanted right now.

"No, this isn't necessary." She began, "I will be fine on my-"

"No." Lord Wyldon interrupted. The veins of arms were bulging from beneath his tanned skin as he gripped the rail on the side of the boat. His face had turned a deep violet and the look in his eyes screamed murder. He swallowed hard before he continued.

"Although he is insolent and insulting, he is right on _one_ point. You do need somebody closer to your own age as there are many things that younger people know that I do not and do not intend to find out."

Kel continued to stare at the ground.

"Neal of Queenscove" he spat, "will be your mentor since he is so ardent about it." He said as he turned on his heel and walked away.

"Maybe he isn't such a stump" the boy muttered to himself before turning to Kel. "Hi there, I 'm Neal, nice to meet you" he said with a huge grin.

* * *

Make my day and review:D .. no I am not desperate.


End file.
